Albert bows



(No Model.) A BOWN STEAM ENGINE. No. 339,135. Patented Apr. 6, 1886.

6 i Amgpney O lUivTTeb STATES PATENT @Trice ALBERT BOVN, OF STREATOR, ILLNOIS, ASSIGNOR F ONE'HALF TO FAVCETT PLUMB, OF SAME PLAGE.

STEAM-ENGINE.

EiPECl-VFICATION forming part ef Letters Patent No. 339,135, dated April 6, 1886.

Application tiled November 14, 1885. Serial No. 182,853. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern: is exhausted at n, either end of the engine 3e it known that I, ALBERT BowN, of being used for this latter purpose, as may be Streator, in the county of La Salle and State most convenient. o o 0 show ports or connecot' Illinois, have invented certain new and usetions between the top of cach cylinder and the 55 5 ful improvements in Engiues5andl do hereby valve-chamber, and o o o show similar ports declare the following to be a full, clear, and connectiugthe valve-ehamberand the common exact description of theinveutiou, such as will eduction-port, E. It will be noticed that the enable others skilled in the art to which it apopenings into the valveehamber of all these pertains to make and use the same. ports are in the same horizontal line. The 6o 10 My invention relates to an improvement in valve V is hollow, and has a spindle or shaft, engines. F, fixed in the end opposite the steam-ingress,

The object is to provide ainultiple-cylinder by which it may be driven. The other end is engine in which the steam may be made to open, and the steam is then admitted toits in work expansively in a greater or lesser deterior. Through its walls or side are pierced 65 grce, and in which the amount of compression three holes or ports, L, at ahorizontal distance for steam-cushioning may beas greatasdesired. from either end corresponding to theportseof further object is to provide a perfectlythe cylinders, and at au angular distance from balanced rotary valve which will waste no each otherof onehundred and twenty degrees. steam in the course of its action, and which The valve has also three depressions or ex- 7o may he put to practical use in an economical haust-ports, h, corresponding` in length and and et'i'ective manner. distance from the ends ot'valve with the open- VVith these ends in view, my invention conings o o o o', &c.-that is, they are each ot" a sists in certain features ot construction and length equal to the distance between the outcombination of parts, as will hereinafter be l side edges of any pair of cylinder or exhaust 75 described, and pointed out in the claims. ports o o', and iu a proper position on the In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is valve to exhaust the steam admitted by its a view of the engine in vertical longitudinal corresponding steam-port after the steam has section. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse secperformed its duty. The valve is driven by tion through one of the cylinders. Fig. 3 is gears G G G from the engineshai't, the gears 8c 3o a detached 'view of the valve, showing transon the valve-spindle and that on the cranltverse section of the same at intervals, (indishaft having an equal number of teeth. The cated by dotted linesg) and Fig. 4 is an end gear on the valve-spindle is so set that when View ofthe cranked engine-shalt. the piston of any cylinder is at its utmost A A, dre., represent two or more cylinders, height the corresponding valve-port h open S5 in the present instance three, supported uping to that cylindershall havejust commenced on a hollow base, B, containing oil and water. to open into and admit steam to the steam- The engine-shaft C extends through the base port o'of same cylinder. Suppose that the B, and has suitable bearings in each end. piston P, Fig. 2, is at the top ot' its cylinder. The shaft C is cranked at points in a line with Then the forward edges of the valve-port h 9c 4o the axes of the cylinders. The three cranks (the valve moving in the saine direction as the c c c diverge from the axis of the shaft in crank-shaft) will have overlapped the nearest radial planes, forming equal angles with each edge of the steamport o, and steam will be other, and their wrist-pins are connected with l admitted from the interior of the valve t0 the the pistons l by the piston-rods p. top ofthe cylinder, and continuetobe admitted 95 D represents a valvechzuuber, which acts until the hindinost edge of the valve-port it also as a steamehest, and is bored out truly shall have overlapped the port o, which will to form a seat for the hollow valve V. occur at about one-half the downward stroke A chamber, E, located beneath the valve of the piston sooner or later, according as chamber D, serves asa common exhaust-chainthe circumferential length of the steam-ports roo 5o ber for all the cylinders. rl`he live steam shall be shorter or longer. The piston conenters the valve-chamber and valve atm, and tinuing its downward stroke and the valve allow the steam to exhaust into E until it has wholly passed o and o', at which time the piston will be nearly at the end of its upward stroke. Compression then ensues by reason of all the ports being closed by the body of the valve until the piston is at the end of its upward stroke,when the leading edge of h will again overlap steam-port 0 and the action will be repeated. The action of the other piston is precisely the same. It will be observed that the duration of the admission of steam de pends upon the length of the ports, and may be as short as desired, to get the full beneiit of expansion. It, however, cannot be made full stroke, and this condition, allowing no eX pansion, is seldom or never desirable in a steam-engine. The amount of compression may be as much or little as desired, and depends upon the length of the lexhaust-ports. The valve is perfectly balanced,7 rotates continuously onward, and consumes none of the useful effect of the steam in its working. If an ordinary lubricator is placed on the steam-pipe, it is selflubricating. The pistons lubricate themselves fromv the oil in the base, and this will likewise lubricate the valve in case there should be no lubricator on the steam-pipe.

Although gears are herein shown and described for transmitting motion from the engine-shaft to the valve-spindle, it is evident that other means might be employed, and it is also evident Vthat slight changes might be resorted to in the form and arrangement of the several parts described without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, hence I do not wish to limit myself strictly to the construction herein set forth;.but,

Having fully described my invention, whatl claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination,with a set of cylinders, a valve-chamber and steam-chest common to said cylinders, steam-ports leading from the chamber to the cylinders, and exhaustports leading from the chamber to a common exhaust-chamber, of a hollow valve located within the valve-chamber, and provided with a set of steam-ports arranged to successively open into the steam-ports in the cylinders, and with a set of exhaustports, each adapted to -connect one steam with one exhaust port, and control the passage of exhauststeam into the exhaust-chamber, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination,with a cylindrical valveseat, a hollow continuouslyrotating valve adapted to receive steam at one end thereof, and an exhaust -chamber distinct from the valve-chamber and located outside of the casv ing, of two or more cylinders adapted to be opened and closed to the steam and exhaust at the proper interval, substantially as set forth. f

1n testimony whereof I have signed this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses. l

ALBERT BOWN. Vitnesses:

JAY BAKER, JOHN E. VVILLIAMs. 

